The Rescue
by kalivon
Summary: Meredith and Orsino are dead, and Hawke has fled Kirkwall with Isabela on her new ship with their destination Tevinter to rescue Fenris who was captured by Danarius. But with pirates, magisters, and emotions getting in the way, will they succeed? *Edited*
1. Chapter 1

**Edited: 5/14/11**

**Disclaimer: Bioware owns all**

"Fenris, we have to get out of here!" Hawke cried when she realized the trap Danarius had set for them. _I can't believe I didn't realize this sooner! I blame me and my damn emotions getting in the way._

Hawke knew something wasn't right when Fenris told her his sister was at the Hanged Man waiting for him. She had wanted to believe beyond hope that his sister was genuine, that she could help Fenris re-connect with his past and even bring some of his memories back. And maybe, just maybe, he would finally find some peace and move on with his life, perhaps even forget about Danarius eventually. Though, of course, as fate would have it, as soon as Hawke called out her warning Danarius appeared at the top of the stairs._ Guess Fenris won't be forgetting about Danarius any time soon. Damn. _

_Although this could be our chance to finally kill him_.

"Ah, my little Fenris. Predictable as always." Danarius said in a tone that sounded as if he was talking to a small child...or a pet. _I do **not**__ like how he refers to Fenris as 'my little Fenris'. _thought Hawke furiously.

Danarius was much older than Hawke expected. He had a long gray beard, his cheeks were sunken as if he hadn't eaten well in a long time and he had dark circles under his eyes. _He almost looks like a corpse. _Apparently ten years of hunting someone relentlessly can age you drastically, or perhaps he was already an old man when Fenris escaped. _That seems just as likely. He's probably using blood magic to prolong his life.._

As Danarius approached Fenris his eyes widened in surprised to see his former master, but quickly turned to anger snarling at his sister for her betrayal.

Danarius quickly cut in telling Fenris that his sister did what she was supposed to do causing Fenris to now direct his anger at him.

"I never wanted these filthy markings, Danarius! But I won't let you kill me to get them!" He growled.

Danarius only laughed directing his attention toward me "You are his new master, then?" but in a tone that made it seem more of a statement than a question.

"I am not his master!" Hawke hissed. "No one is, and no one ever will be. Not even _you_."

Danarius laughed again, "We'll see."

Without warning, shades appeared from the ground. _I really should expect this by now, especially when dealing with a magister._

Danarius had gone back upstairs forming an arcane shield around himself, but his guards stayed down here to join the fight.

Fenris immediately sprang into action easily cutting down three of Danarius guards in one fell swoop.

Hawke, Varric, and Isabela quickly joined after him taking down shade after shade and guard after guard.

Just when they were almost finished and would be able to focus their attention on Danarius, more slavers burst through the Hanged Man doors- probably a dozen or two more. _There's no way we can handle all these men! _

_We must fight! _There was no way she was going to let Danarius have Fenris, dead or alive.

Isabela had disappeared into the shadows whilst Varric killed three guards in one shot as soon as they came in. He was now killing as many guards as he could with Bianca.

Fenris, as usual, rushed headlong into the mass of enemies, at first slicing through them easily causing blood and guts to go everywhere. He was now having trouble as they started to swarm him. _Good..._

Now having the perfect opening, Hawke rushed the enemy cutting down as many guards as she could whilst Isabela sprang from the shadows, blades flashing. But the opening was short-lived, the guards quickly realizing what was happening. They started to turn on Hawke and Isabela. A slaver must have gotten behind Hawke because suddenly she felt an excruciating, sharp pain in her head.

_No!_

Her vision blurred, and she felt something thick and warm sliding down her face. _Blood._

_No!_

Her knees buckled. _This can't be happening! _She no longer had the strength to stand.

_No! I must..._

She lost all train of thought as she fell to the floor with a thud.

Darkness took her.

* * *

><p>That was over a month ago and in that time she had carefully worked with Meredith and Orsino trying to get them to come to some sort of agreement. To no avail. Anders had ruined any chance of that happening, so she was forced to choose sides. Even though she sided with the mages- <em>Fenris would have loved that<em>- she had to kill both Orsino and Meredith. _Heh, I guess everyone was a blood mage in Kirkwall. Figures. I only wish Fenris was here to rub it in my face._

Hawke had woken up two days after the confrontation with Danarius only to find out that Fenris had gone with Danarius in order to save her and Isabela and Varric. Apparently, they had been seriously injured as well but not as badly as Hawke.

It was the most heart-wrenching realization to wake up to. To know that a friend and once lover that she sworn to protect- at least to herself- was taken on her watch. She couldn't bear it.

She had screamed, she had fought, and she had demanded that they go after him immediately! But with no ship and the tension growing between the mages and Templars, the plan of going North towards Tevinter impossible. She had to stay to deal with them, she could not immediately go after him her companions, oh so kindly, reminded her.

She hated them for it but had no choice but to comply. It was the most agonizing month of her life. Luckily Isabela had recovered her ship from Castillon slightly before the battle between the mages and templars.

Being forced out of Kirkwall provided the perfect opportunity to take Isabela up on her offer of being part of her crew and to use her ship and crew to help find Fenris.

Hawke could have gone by land as it probably would have been faster. But she was hated by all the templars for siding with mages. She decided it was much safer to go by sea and risk being attacked by pirates rather than by templars.

And that's where Hawke found herself now: on Isabela's ship in her own cabin somewhere on the Waking Sea.

The cabin was extremely small with only a small bed, a desk and a shutter to provide light. It wasn't the most ideal of arrangements, but it was better than living with Gamlen. _Though anything seems better than that. _Hawke chuckled at the thought.

But the ship's deck more than made up for the poor sleeping arrangements. It was absolutely wonderful to be on the deck during sunny day with a nice breeze and the feel of the cool mist of the sea water on her face. _I understand why Isabela loves this so much._

Yet Hawke stayed in her cabin, brooding-_ Maker, I'm becoming Fenris- _when she should have been out on the deck enjoying the day. But she couldn't help but think of the elf and all her other friends. She missed them dearly.

Unfortunately, none of her other companions had been able to join her, not even her sister. They all had other business to attend to.

Aveline was needed by the city guards to keep the peace in Kirkwall. Varric had wanted to travel all over Thedas to make sure Hawke's story was told and told well. Merrill said she wished to find other Dalish Clans, and to hopefully make up for what she had done to hers. Finally, Bethany had said she wished to start a new life either in Ferelden or somewhere else far away from Kirkwall.

So in the end it was just her and Isabela, on this adventure. Though that really wasn't such a bad thing; on the contrary, it was a great thing. Isabela was her best friend, and the only one who was always there for her no matter what. Even more so than Fenris on occasion and Hawke could no imagine a better person to be with her to rescue him.

And as if on cue, Isabela walked into her cabin. "What are you doing down here, Allie?" She asked.

"I'm thinking."

Isabela scoffed, "You mean you're _brooding_. I understand you were around him a lot, but I don't need you turning into him." A pause. "How am I going to have any fun if you do?" She asked a little too sulkily.

Now, it was Hawke's turn to scoff. "_Please._ You loved Fenris. You had plenty of fun with him. In fact, I thought you two were in a relationship, once, with how you two talked to each other."

Isabela laughed. "Ah, yes I remember that. You came storming into the Hanged Man in a fit of jealous rage demanding to know if I was involved with Fenris. It really was quite adorable."

"I was not jealous!" Isabela smirked. "Fine! But only a little. And I did not storm in. I walked in quite normally and simply asked if you two were involved. There was no raging involved."

Isabela smirked again, "Whatever you say, Allie." Hawke opened her mouth to retort when Isabela quickly continued. "As much as I love our delicious banter, this is not why I came down here."

"Somehow I doubt that."

Isabella feigned dismay, "I'm hurt! If you think the only reason I ever visit you is to antagonize you, you don't know me at all, Hawke." Allie scoffed.

"Fine, think whatever you want. But that isn't why I came down here. You keep distracting me, Hawke. I'm never going to get to my point at this rate."

Allie raised an eyebrow at that, "I distract you?"

Isabela laughed as if Hawke had asked the silliest question, "Of course you do, sweet thing." She said as she now started to walk toward Allie putting in more of a swagger in her walk as she did so. "How could I ignore your long, beautiful red hair?" She continued to say though huskier than before. "Your luscious lips?" Her voice was becoming huskier, and she took a good, long look at Allie's body lustily, making her shiver. "Your well-defined curves?" She was almost at Allie "And your very firm-looking breasts?" Isabela's arms were now draped around Hawke's neck with her face...and lips so close to Hawke's own.

Allie blushed fiercely, feeling very uncomfortable though not in an entirely unpleasant way. She had an overwhelming urge to kiss Isabela. _Maybe I should..._

But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, Isabela abruptly jumped back and laughed "And of course your irresistibly adorable blush. I can see why Fenris likes you." She winked.

Allie could only meekly reply, "You're just messing with me. I don't look anything like that."

"And you're modest too. But see Hawke you do distract me, as I have gotten off track again. I do wish to get to my original point."

"Which is?"

"That you must come out on the deck with me!" Isabela replied in an almost pleading tone.

She continued, "It's an _amazing_ day, and I know how much you love being up there but instead you have decided to...to...be all _Fenris_ today and waste it sulking in your cabin." Isabela snorted. "It's pathetic."

Isabela was right. It _was_ pathetic. It was a beautiful day, and Allie was wasting it away by thinking about things she could not change. Her friends were gone living their own lives, and Fenris was somewhere in Tevinter, which she could do nothing about right now. She had to accept this and move on with her life.

With that in mind she decided she would go with Isabela but not without stringing her along just a bit more.

"Perhaps I like brooding." Was Allie's reply

Isabela huffed, "Fine! If you want to miss out on this perfect day by staying down here and brooding, then be my guest. I'll just head back up to the deck without you and enjoy the day with my crew who I can ogle and enjoy instead." But Hawke could see it in Isabela's eyes that she knew Allie was joking.

_Might as well give in._

"Okay, okay. I'll go with you. Sheesh! No need to get all dramatic on me." Hawke said, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

Isabela clasped her hands in glee. "Good. Now, come on!" She said as she quickly grabbed Hawke's hand and pulled her up and out on to the deck.

And as Allie was dragged along laughing, she momentarily forgot about Fenris and all her troubles simply enjoying the moment with her friend.

* * *

><p>AN: Thank you so much to strangegibbon for betaing this chapter for me. She is amazing!


	2. Chapter 2

It had taken eight months to get to Minrathous and surprisingly, the trip itself was not that unpleasant. There were no pirate attacks, the waters were calm for the most part, and they had favorable winds for most of the trip. Fenris was surprised with how lucky they had been. _Danarius probably used blood magic. _Fenris scowled at the thought. He knew that likely wasn't the case, but he was bitter and wanted to blame everything on Danarius and his damn blood _magic._

But even though the journey was mostly calm and smooth on the physical aspect, it was absolutely miserable for Fenris mentally and emotionally. He had thought himself finally free. Free of the hold blood magic and Danarius had had on him. Free within the safety provided by Hawke and her companions. Only for Danarius to show up and take it all away again.

Like his time with the Fog Warriors, his time with Hawke and her companions had been only temporary ending with Danarius coming to reclaim his pet. _I was a fool to think it would last. I am a slave and always will be._

But even as he thought it, he knew he didn't believe it. He had learned what it meant _not_ to be a slave. To live his own life freely without a master to command him. He had known what it was like to have friends who had your back and to know how it felt to love and be loved. _I miss Hawke._

Hawke was why he was here with Danarius, now. It was because of _her_.

No, she did not intentionally give him over to Danarius but when he had seen her fall to the floor with a sickening thud, blood pouring down her face, and no way to get to her- to _save _her- he had surrendered without thought. He had done it all out of love. For her. He snorted. _Perhaps I __am__ a fool._

Even if he was a fool, he did not regret surrendering himself to save her or for falling in love with her.

_Allie..._

It always felt strange to him to say Hawke's first name much less think it. The only time he had ever said her first name was during their one night together.

He wasn't sure why he only ever used her last name. Perhaps he was subconsciously trying to keep a certain distance between them. Perhaps he was too afraid to get close to someone because of what happened with the Fog Warriors. Terrified that Danarius would come to reclaim his "little wolf" and take away everything he held dear once again. _How ironic_

And even though that was exactly what happened, he regretted more than anything else his inability to get closer to Hawke. He had left so many things he wanted to say- _**should **__have__ said-_ unsaid. So many times he just wanted to hold her, to kiss her, to touch her, to claim her as his, and to tell her he loved her. But he did none of those things. All those chances wasted- because he was too damn _afraid_.

And now he would never have another chance to make up for those mistakes._ I'm a damn fool. _And this time, he didn't argue with that thought.

* * *

><p>Danarius and Varania, Fenris' traitorous sister, had finally gathered all their belongings preparing to disembark.<p>

"Come along, Fenris" Danarius commanded, as if he was talking to a small child making Fenris' skin crawl. _Why does he have to talk to me like that?_

"Yes, Master" Fenris answered obediently. Mentally he was fuming. He wished nothing more than to rip Danarius' heart out every time he was forced to say those words.

"I noticed on our trip that you continuously fondled that red scarf on your arm, Fenris." Danarius continued as they walked off the gangplank.

And as soon as the words left his lips, Fenris's heart stopped._ Please don't..._

"Why?" Danarius asked.

_Don't..._

"It's nothing" Fenris whispered hoping he would drop it.

"Please don't lie to me, Fenris. I know it _is_ something, and I do not wish to punish you again for disobeying me. You know what I will do to your _Champion_ if you continue to be disobedient so tell me the truth." Danarius' voice was calm said, but held a slight hint of anger in his tone.

_Please..._

"It was Hawke's" Fenris replied sadly.

He did not wish to repeat the brutal beating he had received for his first and, so far, last act of defiance. Nor did he want to risk any harm to Hawke because of his actions.

He had tried to escape the ship as soon as they had set sail and killed many of Danarius' guards in the process, but just as he was about to jump ship, he heard Danarius' commanding voice.

"Fenris, if you jump off this ship, I will have my men in Kirkwall kill your precious Champion before you can even get close to her!"

Fenris knew that Hawke was more than capable of taking care of herself, and that her companions would protect her, but he had a nagging feeling in the back of his head that they would catch her at her most vulnerable. Reluctantly, he had returned to Danarius to receive his punishment.

He had been flogged more times than he could count with numerous scars still borne on his back. He had been hit with a hail of kicks and punches causing several broken bones throughout his body. He was even assaulted with laughs, taunts, and jeers from the guards as they beat him.

The pain had been excruciating, but he bore it for _her. _And he would not allow himself to give the guards the satisfaction of his cries of pain. He would retain his dignity no only for himself but for _her._

So he had taken everything they had thrown at him without so much as a grimace of pain, and eventually Danarius' men had given up leaving him in his room bloodied, bruised, scarred and nearly unconscious.

Hours later Danarius had come to him in his room. He had looked down at Fenris with a condescending look. And with a sigh, he had only slightly healed Fenris. Only enough to make sure he would not die from his injuries.

And as Danarius turned to leave he had said something that ensured Fenris would never disobey him, "Fenris, if you ever try to escape or disobey me again, it will not just be _you _who will be punished. Remember that." Then he left.

"You know slaves are not allowed personal items, Fenris." A pause as Danarius turned toward him. "Hand it over," he commanded.

_No!_

"Wha..._No!..._I._.." _Fenris hesitated. He didn't know what to do. Should he give it to him? Or not? He couldn't bear the idea of parting with the only thing he had left of _Allie's_. But if he didn't, he would risk the possibility of her death.

Danarius made the choice for him, "Fenris, do I have to go over this again? You know what I'll do if you disobey so make it easier on yourself and your Champion. Obey."

Reluctantly, Fenris slowly removed the scarf and handed it to Danarius. "Here, Master."

"Thank you, my little wolf." Danarius said. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" He asked.

"No, master."

Varania, who had been quiet the entire time, suddenly cut in, "Danarius, do you not think it would be better if you erased his memories? You see how he disobeys you over anything related to his past. Will you not reconsider doing so?"

Fenris narrowed his eyes at her. _Not only does she betray me, but she wishes to erase my mind? Bitch!_

"No!" Danarius snapped. "I have told you that his punishment for escaping will be to _remember_ his past. So he will _know_ what he has lost and will never regain."

"Plus," Danarius continued with a sly smile. "He will never escape knowing it will cause the death of his precious Champion. Isn't that right, Fenris?" He asked.

"Yes, Master" Fenris replied, and he was saddened at how much that was true. He would never consider escaping again as long as there was a possibility that Hawke would be harmed if he did so.

So once again Fenris was trapped, a slave, but this time because of his memories of a life of freedom instead of none at all as before.

"See, Varania? Nothing to worry about."

Varania only nodded, seemingly deep in thought.

But Danarius's tone suddenly changed to anger, "And just so we're clear, even though you are now my apprentice, you have _no_ _right_ to question my decisions. Am I understood?"

"Yes. My apologies, master." She replied.

"Good." Danarius said eying Varania suspiciously, but seemed satisfied with what he saw as he continued to walk onward as if nothing had happened.

"Now, come along, Fenris." Danarius called. "The other magisters have missed you and are anxiously awaiting your return. We must not disappoint them."

Fenris rolled his eyes. _Of course not._

And as they got closer to Danarius's mansion, Fenris wanted to scream, shout, kill, or do _anything_ to vent his rage and frustration but knew he could not. _Thi__s_ was his life again and he was going to have to accept that if he wanted it to be as bearable as possible. He only wished he knew how.

* * *

><p>AN: I love Fenris. So this was an absolute joy to write. But unfortunately this will be the only chapter from Fenris' POV at least until Hawke and Isabela get to Minrathous. Sorry Fenris fans, but yay for non-Fenris fans.

I also wanted to add that I don't hate Varania. Fenris does. Varania actually wanted to have his memories erased because she cares about him. She noticed how much it pained him to be taken back by Danarius, and she wanted to make up for turning him by having his memory erased so his life would be more bearable.

And thak you so much to strangegibbon and Skeasel who beta'ed this chapter for me. You two made this chapter a 100x better.


	3. Chapter 3

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Isabela asked absently.

"Mmmm, it is." Allie replied appreciatively.

They were sitting on the bow of the ship watching the sunset in the distance. But Isabela was not watching. She was deep in thought thinking about the day's events - specifically this morning. The almost _kiss._

She _had_ noticed that Allie had wanted to kiss her. She had seen it in her eyes. Her pupils had greatly dilated when she had gotten close to her and she had easily seen the lust- the want- in them. What the pirate couldn't understand is why she had wanted to in that moment. Allie had never shown any signs of ever wanting her since they had known each other and Isabela had given her many opportunities to show her want, so why now?

Isabela wasn't so sure. Perhaps, she had tried to convince herself, she had imagined it all. Perhaps it was only her projecting her own desires onto Hawke. _Huh, well that's not true_. She hadn't come as far as she had without knowing when someone did or did not want her and Allie was definitely someone who had not wanted her in _that _way up until that very moment. The pirate queen still couldn't figure out why.

The bigger question- and the reason she was even thinking about this almost kiss at all- was why she hadn't kissed _Hawke_. Isabela was a tease. Anyone who had known her for a _second_ could figure that out, but she was also someone who took advantage of the first opening she was given.

Though technically she wasn't really pursuing Hawke any more, she would be lying to herself if she hadn't always been curious to know how good Hawke was in bed or even just how good a kisser she was. But Isabela had given up on her a long time ago after Allie had made it quite clear that she didn't see the pirate _that_ way. Especially once she had her eyes on the broody elf. Allie had become one of her closest friends and she would never dream of intentionally ruining their friendship. Most people who had had the pleasure of knowing the pirate beforehand would have laughed and called her a liar if they ever heard her say that. _She_ would have too. She was selfish, a liar and a whore and up until recently she tried to live up to the many other names she had been called in the past.

There was something about Hawke. Something _special _and it was thatwhich had kept the Rivaini at her side for so long. It might have been the way she walked, talked, fought or simply how she held herself that commanded her respect. Perhaps it was none of those things. It could have been the adventure, the coin and the booze that Hawke's company had brought that kept Isabela with her. Maybe it was all of those things combined, Isabela wasn't sure. Maybe it didn't even matter because in the time she had spent with Hawke she had changed irrevocably.

Allie had been able to break down the walls the pirate queen had constructed around herself and had eventually led her to feel bad about the things she done in the past, to doubt herself. She had initially hated the warrior for that, and, if she was honest with herself, it was the real reason she had fled Kirkwall after Hawke's duel with the Arishok. She just couldn't bear being around someone that made her feel that way so she had run.

But even being hundreds of miles away, Allie's influence had still affected her. She had eventually started to feel guilty for leaving her because, almost without realising it, she had come to care a great deal for the warrior. She couldn't bear the thought of Allie hating her for running away. It was with this in mind she had decided to return to Kirkwall after three years, if for nothing else but to apologize to her.

When she had returned, Allie had, to Isabela's surprise, easily accepted her back. No apology necessary. She had said that she understood that the Rivaini wasn't someone who lingered in one place for too long and had never expected her to stay. She was just happy with the time she had had with her and was happy to have even more. Their friendship had grown immensely after that reunion.

However as their friendship grew, Isabela had started to feel this need to change. To be a better person for _her_. Isabela was a lowly pirate wench while Hawke was the Champion of Kirkwall and the pirate felt inferior next to her. Almost as if she wasn't worth her company. But even though Allie had accepted her not caring about who Isabela was, she still felt she didn't deserve her friendship. Like she had failed the warrior in some way. Even though Hawke never asked her to change, she had started to do so anyway so she could be the person Isabela believed that Allie deserved.

It was as Sebastian had once said to her during one of their conversations, "Preaching seldom works, Isabela. To change a person's heart, one has to lead by example." And that was exactly what Allie had done to her. It was through her actions that she had changed the pirate.

It was because of that change that she hadn't kissed Hawke. Isabela knew if she did that Allie would regret it later, thinking she had betrayed Fenris' trust and Isabela wouldn't be able to handle being the cause of her friend's self-loathing. Well, that was only part of it. If the pirate looked deeper into herself she would find that the bigger reason she hadn't kissed Hawke was not because she feared the warrior would regret it but because she feared that she wouldn't and would want _more._

Isabela knew she couldn't give her more. She wasn't one to make commitments, and she would only end up hurting Allie. It was _that _Isabela feared most of all. Being loved. But she would never admit it to herself.

"Isabela? Isabela. Are. You. There?" Allie was asking in a very loud, slow voice shaking Isabela out of her thoughts.

"Hmmm?"

"Isabela?" Hawke asked with barely contained mirth. "Were you...brooding?"

Isabela scoffed, "Of course not. I was just thinking how good you would be in bed." She gave Hawke a sly smile. "And my imagination says you would be amazing. It makes me all hot and bothered just thinking about it."

Allie flushed but quickly recovered. "Well, your imagination can speculate all it wants but _you_ are never going to find out."

Suddenly her tone changed to one of concern. "But I know you weren't thinking about that, I could see it in your eyes. You looked like something was bothering you. You looked almost...sad. Is something wrong, Isabela?"

"No, nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about." She avoided Allie's gaze. _Please drop it._

"If you say so." She continued to eye her with concern for a moment longer and then changed the subject. _Thank you._

"So if you are the one brooding now," Allie said mischievously. "Am I supposed to be you?"

"Pfft, you be me?" She scoffed. "You're far too much of a prude for that _and_ you're a horrible liar."

"Me? A prude?" Allie scoffed. "Hardly."

"Oh, _really_?" Isabela laughed. "You blush any time I talk about sex. I'm amazed you _ever_ didit with Fenris."

"How do you know that isn't just a well-crafted ruse?" Allie struggled to keep a straight face, a blush starting to creep onto her cheeks.

"As I said before you're a horrible liar."

"And what if that's a lie as well?"

"Then I want you to prove it." What happened next was something Isabela would never have imagined in her wildest dreams and she had had some pretty wild ones.

One moment she was leaning back with her arms crossed, one eyebrow raised and a smirk on her face _daring_ Allie to do something, the next Allie was kissing her. Isabela didn't even have enough time to comprehend what had happened and Allie quickly pulled away before Isabela was able to recover enough sense to respond to the kiss.

"See? Not a prude." Allie chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck furiously and looking anywhere but _her_.

Isabela was speechless. All she could do was stare.

Allie coughed. "Well, it's getting pretty late so I think I'm going to turn in for the night."

Isabela, still in shock, could only nod. Allie left, practically running down the deck towards her cabin.

_What in the Maker just happened?_

* * *

><p><em>What in the Maker's name did I just do? <em>Allie thought as she slammed the door to her cabin and slid down onto the floor.

She had _no_ idea what she'd been thinking when she'd done that. At first she had only been teasing Isabela to distract her from whatever thoughts were bothering her. Then, Isabela had been taunting her and her infuriating smirk had sparked this sudden need, this _passionate urge _within her to wipe that smirk off with her lips. And for some indiscernible reason she had acted on that feeling without thought. She had only ever done that with Fenris. What had changed?

Maybe nothing had changed. She still loved Fenris, and perhaps what she had felt toward the pirate wasn't the same as the elf. Perhaps she only felt them because of her urge to prove Isabela wrong. Not like the love she had for the former slave. Maybe she just longed for physical contact, the feel of another's lips, the feel of a lover's touch. The feel of a warm body holding her. Maybe she missed that kind of contact so much that she would seize upon any opportunity to have it, no matter who the person was.

So when she had seen the perfect opportunity to feel another's lips, she had seized it without a second thought. _Yeah, that's probably it. _

That must have also have been the reason she had wanted to kiss Isabela earlier today. She hadn't really thought about that almost kiss, being too caught up with having fun with her but now that she thought about it, that was most likely reason as well.

But if all that was true, why had she run? If it _really _meant nothing shouldn't she have stayed and continued to joke around with her? For Maker's sake, she wasn't even able to look at her. Why?

Allie knew part of the reason she wasn't able to look at Isabela was because the pirate had been stunned. _Stunned! _She couldn't believe it. She had actually shocked the pirate queen to the point of speechlessness. That had absolutely mortified the warrior. In that moment she had thought she crossed some line or something. But now that she was thinking about it, this was Isabela she was talking about! The Isabela she knew would have made some kind of joke or teased her more. She wouldn't have been affected by a kiss in such a way. Hawke couldn't think of a single reason she would have reacted like that. It was very troubling. Perhaps the answer would reveal itself in time. And anyway it wasn't the whole reason she had avoided looking at the pirate and had run away from her.

If she was completely honest with herself, it was mostly because when she had kissed Isabela she had felt a spark within in her that begged for more. She had _wanted_ Isabela to kiss her back, and that had frightened her to her very core. So she had quickly pulled away from the pirate so Isabela wouldn't have had a chance to kiss her. Because Hawke _knew _that if Isabela had kissed her, she would have lost all of her resolve. Easily submitting to the pirate. She couldn't betray Fenris like that so she had run. Not wanting to accept the feelings that the kiss had awakened in her for the pirate.

So as Hawke sat on the floor of her cabin, she pushed all those feelings aside telling herself she had only kissed Isabela to make a point. Because accepting those feelings could ruin everything for her.

_There's nothing to worry about. _She crawled onto her bed and was just drifting off to sleep when she heard a knock on the door...

* * *

><p>Isabela had stayed rooted to the spot for who knew how long, mouth agape, staring in the direction Allie had run. Her mind and body was a whirl of thoughts and emotions. She could barely focus on any one of them. She could barely even speak or move because of it. What was wrong with her? It was only a peck on the lips. It meant nothing. Yet she was going crazy from it. <em>This is insane! <em>The great Isabela shouldn't be rendered mute by a simple peck. Even if it was from her closest friend. Actually maybe that was it. Maybe the pirate cared more for her friend more than she was ever willing to admit, and that simple contact from her had awakened those feelings. But before she was able to contemplate it more, one of her crew members shook her out of her stupor.

"Cap'n, you all right?" Isabela smiled. It was her favourite crew member, Danyl. The only crew member besides Allie that she would consider letting call her Bela. She had only known him for a little while but she had immediately taken a liking to him. He was the oldest crew member and the hardest working one. He was also one of the sweetest. He made sure everyone was taken care of before himself, almost like Hawke. But it wasn't his similarity to Hawke that made her like him, he also reminded her of her father.

Danyl was a romantic just like him. Always telling grand, romantic stories to the crew. She would never admit it anyone, but she loved it when he told these stories. It reminded her of a time when she had believed all those stories her father had told her before he died and before her bitch of a mother had sold her into a loveless marriage, ruining all those romantic ideals.

There was also something about his eyes that reminded her of her father. They were the same deep rich brown as his had been and there was a kindness in them which made any man feel confident spilling their secrets to him.

Yes, this man reminded her very much of her father and she loved him for it.

"Yeah, I'm all right. I just need a stiff drink."

He laughed. "I'm sure ya do, but don't ya think it would be better for the both of ya if you go talk to her instead?" One eyebrow rose expectantly.

Isabela laughed and shook her head. She should have expected him to say that. _Definitely my father. _

"Why do you have to make things harder?"

"Because I care" he said with a smile and a hand on his heart.

She shook her head. "And _that _I will never understand."

He laughed again. "Ya don't have to. Ya just need to go after her." He paused staring at her expectantly for a moment. _What?_ "Well, whatcha waitin' for?" _Oh..._

"Nothing, I guess."

"Then go."

She headed to Allie's cabin. _I hope I don't regret this later. _She doubted that she would. After all, Allie was simply embarrassed and was probably hating herself right now thinking she had not only made a fool of herself but betrayed Fenris in some way. She smiled. _Typical Allie. _Isabela was sure she would be able to calm her down with some jokes and then get her a stiff drink. Then all would be forgotten. She hoped.

As she got closer to Allie's cabin however, she got more and more nervous. _Why are you nervous? __It's just Allie. There's nothing to be nervous about._

She was about to knock on the door when she hesitated suddenly. She was still very nervous and didn't know why. If she was being honest with herself she knew it was because of the kiss. Even though she kept telling herself that the kiss meant nothing she couldn't stop thinking about it. It had sparked something in Isabela that was more than just passion and _that_ she really didn't want to contemplate. Right now she needed to talk to Allie. _Well, whatcha waitin' for? _Danyl's words rang in her ears.

She took a deep breath and knocked.

"Isabela?" _You can do this._

"Hey, sweet thing."

"Wh- what are you doing here?"

"To finish where you left off, of course." She said as she traced a finger across Allie's jaw, her face extremely close to hers. "What else?"

Allie blushed and was wide-eyed only for a moment until she brought herself back under control and pushed Isabela away gently. "I'm not in the mood, Isabela. I told you that I was going to bed."

"So, after giving me that hot, sexy kiss and then running off _begging_ me to chase you you're now telling me you're not in the mood?" Isabela feigned hurt. "You're such a tease!"

Allie smiled. "What can I say? I learned from the best."

Isabela laughed "And here I thought it was only _you_ that influenced _me_."

The warrior scoffed. "Hardly."

Isabela's eyes brightened up at that. "Ooh. This is intriguing. The lowly pirate wench influences the mighty Champion of Kirkwall."

Allie's eyes suddenly darkened and her voiced turned solemn. "You're not a lowly pirate wench, Isabela. You're my dear friend who I care for very much and would never think such a thing about you." She took a breath. "You need to stop selling yourself short. You're capable of great things, Isabela."

Isabela took a shuddering breath, a lump having suddenly formed in her throat. Damn it, she hated it when Hawke made her feel like this. "I...thank you." She said hoarsely.

Allie nodded. "Now are you going to tell me why you came down here or can I go to bed now?"

Isabela perked up. "To get you drunk of course! I believe you and I both need it."

Allie smirked "Why, so you can take advantage of me?"

"Does it matter? I plan on getting you so drunk you won't remember a single thing anyway."

Allie laughed and shook her head. "No, I guess not." Suddenly she pulled the pirate into a fierce hug. "And thank you, Isabela. For everything. I don't think I've said this before, but I wouldn't have been able to try and rescue Fenris without you. Thank you."

For the second time that night Isabela felt a lump form in her throat. "I...you're welcome."

"Come on." Allie said with a wry smile as she let her go. "Let's get drunk."

_Yes, let's go get drunk._

* * *

><p>AN: Well, this chapter kinda got out of hand for me. It's not what I had intended to write at all. But what I've learned from this chapter is that the muse wants what the muse wants and I can't deny it or it will beat me into submission. So this is what came out of it. I hope the inner musings weren't too long, just tell me what you think.

And thank you again for strangegibbon for betaing this chapter. And in case you weren't aware she also beta'ed the first chapter for me as well, which I just put the edited version a few days ago. In case any of you wanted to see it. It's not necessary though.


	4. Chapter 4

"Pirates!" One of her crewmen cried and that was all her men needed to hear to start scrambling to their positions without a single command from their Captain.

The ship was still far off, but there was no mistaking the colors of the flag for the Felicisima Armada.

"Finally, some action!" Isabela cried out. "It was getting awfully boring around here."

"What? I'm not entertaining enough for you?" Hawke teased.

Isabela snorted "Hardly Hawke. Teasing only goes so far. When you don't let me get into your pants much less touch you, you become an awful bore."

"But that is how it has always been between us and we've known each other for six years. You've never said I was a bore before." Hawke said in the most pathetic voice, a fake pout on her face. It was really quite adorable.

"Yes, but in Kirkwall we were always fighting...and I had a brothel."

"You have a full crew of men that could satisfy your...itch."

Isabela opened her mouth to retort, but one of her crewman cut her off by calling out a warning that they were nearing the ship.

"Is everyone ready?"

"Aye, Captain."

"Good. I'll take the wheel. I want to show Hawke how it's done."

Hawke snorted. "Lead the way almighty Captain and show me your amazing skills." Hawke bowed, her right arm outstretched to the side.

Isabela laughed as she started to head to the wheel. "That's more like it! I wish you'd say that more often - specifically in a more _private_ setting" she purred.

Allie rolled her eyes. "Let's keep walking. Don't want to miss out on you showing me your amazing steering skills."

"Hmm...true. I don't want you to miss out on that, but we can walk and talk at the same time, so you needn't worry. Or is it because I make you uncomfortable that you wish me to stop talking?"

"You always do. But if you insist on talking, could you talk about something other than sex? It would be a nice change of pace."

"You can be such a bore sometimes, Allie. Do you want me to talk about the weather or how nice that pirate ship coming toward us looks?"

"You could." Allie replied with no hint of sarcasm.

Isabela shook her head. "Guess walking will be just fine."

"Thought so." Allie smugly replied. Isabela looked over her shoulder toward Allie and mouthed the words _I hate you _in mock-anger. Allie only continued to smile causing Isabela to sigh in exasperation. _She can be so infuriating sometimes._

They continued to walk in silence until they finally made it to the wheel. "Ah, this is perfect. These pirates won't have a chance, the poor sods."

"Well, glad you're so confident because if we all die I'm blaming you."

"Please, Hawke. We've fought far tougher things these pirates. Not only that, I'm the best pirate in all of Thedas. Don't doubt me."

Allie chuckled. "You're right. I'm sooo sorry to have ever have doubted you. I'll never do it again."

Isabela nodded in mock-satisfaction. "You better not or I'll have to punish you." Isabela put a finger on her lips looking distant. "Mmmm actually that doesn't sound like such a bad thing. I might just do that to you anyway."

Allie shook her head and sighed with a slight chuckle. "There goes your mind again, always in the gutter."

"Wouldn't be me otherwise." Isabela grinned. "Now, shhh. Watch how I get us into the perfect position to kill these pesky Antivan pirates." Isabela maneuvered the ship so it would be only a few feet apart from the Antivan ship once they got alongside it. The ship was now only a few hundred meters away from them.

"How does getting closer to the enemy make it easier to kill them? Doesn't that make it easier for them to board our ship?"

"But it also makes it easier for us to kill _them_. Just trust me, Hawke." As soon as Isabela said that a fireball flew straight into one of their sails.

"Oh, yes. You're right, Isabela. I should trust you because as you said you are the best pirate in _all_ of Thedas. There should be _nothing_ to worry about." Hawke's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Oh, shut up." Isabela said, directing her attention to the crew. "Someone put out that fire! And kill that mage ASAP!"

"I think that's my cue to go. I'll try to get the mage if no one else does. I'm assuming you will be fine here?" There was a sudden explosion at the back of the ship.

"Shit! What was that?" Isabela asked.

"It was the mage, Captain. He blew the rudder!" One of her crewmen replied.

"That mage is a dead man!" Isabela hissed, but regained her composure and yelled back to her crew. "We can't worry about it right now just focus all of your attacks on that damnable mage." Isabela directed her attention back to Allie. "Well, I guess there's no point in me staying up here."

Allie smirked. "Guess not. Let's go."

They ran down the steps toward the middle of the ship where some of the Antivan pirates had already swung over to where the fighting had begun. Isabela's men seemed to be holding their ground quite well but looked like they would be outmatched at any moment with more of the Antivan pirates flooding the ship.

"I'm going to try to get on to their ship to kill that mage. You stay here and help out my men with the pirates." Isabela told Hawke.

Allie looked conflicted and it seemed she would argue with the pirate, but her expression eventually became one of acceptance. "Ok, but be careful."

"Please, Hawke. It'll be a piece of cake. Trust me."

Allie groaned. "The last time you said that a fireball hit us."

Isabela laughed. "It'll be different this time. Sneaking and stabbing are my specialities and I'm prepared for the mage unlike last time. Don't worry." Isabela said with a wry grin. The fighting was increasingly becoming more tense, the pirates starting to take the upper-hand.

"Fine, go! Your men need my help." The two women went their separate ways.

* * *

><p>Allie grunted, a greatsword hitting her shield. <em>Aren't pirates supposed to be small rogues with small swords? Not big brutes with big swords…or mages <em>she thought angrily. Hawke had been fighting these pirates for what seemed like ages killing one after another and now this giant human had gotten in her way. _Why can't they all just die?_

She was _not_ in a good mood. She had not planned on being attacked by pirates today…or ever. Though she had to admit in the beginning when the pirate ship was first spotted she was hardly bothered. The warrior had actually thought it would be simple and over in no time - that was until they realized that the pirates had a mage. Then she knew that this was not going to be fun which darkened her mood dramatically.

The situation was made even worse when the mage destroyed the rudder, which brought up the question: _What were they going to do after they killed all these pirates? _After all with no rudder the ship couldn't move so they were stranded. Killing the pirates would mean nothing if they were just going to be stuck. _Well…we could take their ship. Isabela wouldn't be happy, but we can't just sit out at sea._

Thinking about Isabela brought her to the main reason she was pissed. She couldn't believe the pirate had run off on her own…without her. It was infuriating. She understood her need to be here to help out her men even if she didn't like it but were none of her other men able to help their Captain kill the mage? Why did she have to do it alone? _If she gets herself killed, I swear I'll go through the Fade itself to bring her back just so I can kill her myself._

She knew the pirate was more than capable of taking care of herself but that didn't help shake her worry. She should have just gone with her anyway ignoring what the pirate had said to her but Isabela would never have forgiven her for leaving her men to be killed, so the warrior had stayed.

With a push, she got the huge human off her knocking him off-balance and giving her the perfect opportunity to thrust her sword straight into his chest…

Perfect!

The raider looked at her, wide-eyed with shock, then slumped over her sword, dead. She removed her sword from his chest and watched him crumple to the floor, blood pouring everywhere.

With the short reprieve from fighting, she took a quick look over at the raider's ship to still see the mage with no sign of the Rivaini. _Dammit! Where is she?_

The mage hadn't done any serious damage to the ship probably wanting to preserve it for raiding, but he had killed a considerable amount of Isabela's men. They would be overrun soon if Isabela didn't hurry. _But what if she-_

_No! _She refused to believe anything bad happened to the pirate. They'd been through too much together for it to end like this. She knew Isabela would kill the mage. She had to.

Suddenly the mage froze as if one of his frost spells had backfired on him, falling forward to reveal Isabela. _Finally!_

But now all the Antivan pirates still left on their ship now knew of her presence and were starting to close in on her. _Shit!_

She wouldn't be able to get to her in time because there were still pirates on the ship blocking her way, but she quickly came to a decision. "Anyone with a bow or anyone that can get to the other ship quickly needs to help Isabela out!"

Her order given, all she could do now was fight through the pirates as fast as possible and hope that Isabela would be safe.

* * *

><p><em>Balls! <em>There were probably ten or so pirates coming straight at her and there was no way out...unless she jumped. _Ships are too close for that. Guess I'll just have to take them on._Isabela nearly snorted at the thought. When had she ever taken anything head on? No, she would fight these men as she normally did: with lots of tricks and backstabbing.

She threw a smoke bomb giving her enough time to quickly hide in the shadows. Unfortunately, there weren't a great many places to hide on a ship in broad daylight but she could manage just as she did when she had snuck over to the mage without anyone noticing. But the difference this time was that everyone _knew_that she was on the ship so she would have to act quickly before they spotted her.

While she was in the shadows preparing to kill one of the pirates further from the group, she noticed arrows whizzing overhead from her ship toward the Antivan pirates killing a couple of them. _Well, that'll make things easier._

She quickly took the opportunity to jump out of the shadows to kill the pirate she was nearest to. With the arrows still flying over, the pirates were too distracted to notice her.

She took the opportunity to get behind the pirates and kill as many as she could. She was only able to kill a few before they redirected their attention back to her realizing they couldn't do anything about the archers. But by then there were only a few of them left and they were easily dispatched with the help of the archers. Within a few seconds the rest of the pirates were killed.

"And here I thought that this would be more of a challenge. Disappointing. I bet Allie had much more fun than me." Isabela sighed and made her way back to her ship, secretly hoping there would be more pirates to fight.

As she arrived back onto her ship she found there was not a single Antivan pirate left, her crew having killed them all. "It seems I missed out on all the fun." Isabela said.

"Fun?" Allie asked stalking toward Isabela looking none too happy. _This can't be good._ "Some of your men died and many more were injured. I don't consider that _fun._" Isabela winced. That _was_ insensitive for her to say especially since this was her crew. She now felt extremely guilty. "You...I..." Isabela sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Allie blinked. "Wh-what?" She spluttered. "No! You're not supposed to be agreeable. You're supposed to argue! I – I – "She cursed. Isabela rose an eyebrow, very confused.

Allie sighed. "Sorry. I'm..." She hesitated looking conflicted on what she wanted to say then made up her mind, but it seemed it was not what she had initially intended to say. "I'm still tense from the fight. I just need to cool down a bit."

"Well..." Isabela began with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I know of a _very_ satisfying way to relieve that tension."

Allie snorted. "I'm sure you do but I'll have to politely decline. I'm sure one of your men would happily agree to your offer, though."

"Hmph, you're no fun."

"I know." Allie replied, a smug grin on her face that made Isabela not only want to slap her but kiss her, too. _How does she make me feel this way?_

"Now, don't we have damage to assess..." Hawke's voice turned solemn. "...bodies to count?"

Isabela sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose not looking forward at doing that at all. "Yeah, the perks of being a Captain."

"I know this will be pretty hard for you. These are your men and I know how much you care about them even though you never say it out loud. I just want you to know you don't have to suffer this alone." Allie's eyes were filled with sympathy and comfort, something the pirate felt she didn't deserve but welcomed nevertheless.

"People die. I'm used to that. I'll get over it...but thank you." Isabela forced a smile. She would never admit it to Hawke, but those words meant more to her than she thought possible. It made her realize how lucky she was to have Allie as her friend. Her heart constricted in a painful yet also pleasant way.

"No problem. Well, ready to get started?" Allie asked.

"No, but it's gotta be done."

"Well, as I said I'm right here with you." Isabela genuinely smiled feeling much better about the gruesome task ahead of her.

* * *

><p>AN: This took much longer than I expected to get out but real life got in the way as it usually does. And unfortunately the next chapter will take even longer because I'm leaving for Europe tomorrow for about a month. But I do already have half of the next chapter already written as I was going to have it in this chapter but decided against as I thought it didn't flow well. So when I get back, it should only take a couple of days to get the next chapter published.

And once again a special thanks to my lovely beta, strangegibbon.


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